Working with Partners

As part of an initiative to tackle heritage crime in England a Memorandum of Understanding on the Prevention, Investigation, Enforcement and Prosecution on Heritage Crime (MOU) was drawn up.

Signed jointly by the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC), the Crown Prosecution Service, Historic England and a growing number of local authorities, community safety partnerships and National Park Authorities. It is an agreement to work in partnership with each other to prevent and solve crimes against historic places.

Appendix 1: Signatories

Local authorities, community safety partnerships and National Park Authorities are encouraged to sign up to the Memorandum of Understanding and to date 20 have signed it, with Canterbury Council being the first to sign up back in 2011.

Benefits of signing the MOU

By signing the MOU, local authorities, community safety partnerships and National Park Authorities are agreeing to work in partnership with the other signatories, which in turn fosters cooperation and support in dealing with this type of crime.

It also defines the roles and responsibilities of each party in relation to preventing, investigating and prosecuting crimes against historic places, as well as in enforcing the law.

An action plan for all those signed up to the MOU is drawn up each year, based on the results of a strategic assessment, thereby ensuring a co-ordinated approach to dealing with the problem of crime and anti-social behaviour within the historic environment.

How do I sign up to the MOU?

If you are a local authority, community safety partnership or National Park Authority and you would like to get involved with the Heritage Crime Programme by becoming a signatory to the Memorandum of Understanding, please contact: